When it comes to flagship British TV shows, Doctor Who is up there amongst the greatest. The show first began life on the BBC in 1963, with William Hartnell stepping into the TARDIS as The Doctor. Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Doctor Who only grew in popularity as the universe, villains, and characters expanded, and several actors, including Tom Baker, Peter Davison, and Sylvester McCoy, all made their mark on the role of The Doctor before the show went on hiatus in 1989.
But like a Time Lord regenerating, Doctor Who came back 16 years later with its 2005 revival, and a whole new host of actors took on the mantle of The Doctor, entertaining viewers with grand adventures across time and space. However, as of late, the show has encountered some bumps in the road, undergoing several incarnations of the character, ranging from newcomer Ncuti Gatwa to the return of some more familiar faces, including David Tennant (Tenth Doctor) and Billie Piper (Rose). And after the announcement of screenwriter Russell T. Davies’ and Bad Wolf’s departure and the cancellation of the 2026 Christmas special, Doctor Who’s future was looking uncertain — until recently.
According to the BBC’s director-general, Matt Brittin, there is plenty of hope that the show will ‘regenerate’ once again, adding that some serious work is being done behind the scenes to make that possible. He said (via RadioTimes): “That’s a show that has regenerated multiple times in its 60-plus year history, and we’ll do so again. I think that’s one of the great things about the 100-year history of the BBC. We can do that, and we can creatively renew shows that people love, and we’ll be working hard on that right now.”
If there’s anyone who can do it, then Brittin would be the best person for the job, especially given how much of a die-hard Doctor Who fan he has previously professed to be. But he isn’t the only one determined to get the show back on the airwaves, as BBC Studios CEO Tom Russell also shared his enthusiasm with Deadline, telling them they plan to compete for Doctor Who’s tender in the competitive market, though he didn’t specify which brand it would be. He added: “We’ve been the producer for 60 years and we want to be the producer for another 60 years, so we will be going for that tender with gusto. We are in it to win it.”
In June, the BBC announced its intention to put Doctor Who out for a competitive tender to secure “the next phase of the show for future generations,” with further details to be announced in due course. However, a timeline regarding that tender has still not been confirmed, with reports estimating Doctor Who’s return to be until 2028 at the earliest. But this uncertainty seemingly hasn’t affected other Doctor Who-related projects in the pipeline, with the BBC previously confirming that an animated series for CBeebies was currently in production.
Doctor Who
- Release Date
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2005 – 2021-00-00
- Network
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BBC
